True Love's kiss will break any curse
by StefyB85
Summary: AU - The kiss between Rumple and Belle actually breaks the curse, True Love wins over the Dark Curse and Rumple has no powers anymore, he's an ordinary man again. Will he accept that? Will he accept his feelings for Belle? Will he, or they, find a way to find Baelfire despite his plan to use magic to do that? - Rated M for safety reasons.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's note: _**_First of all, thanks for giving this story a try. Second of all, I apologize in advance for language mistakes, I'm not a native english speaker but I try to do my best. I know that the first chapter might not be very new and exciting, but I hope you'll stick with me to discover what I have in store for Rumple and Belle and of course for all of you. Enjoy._

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**_CHAPTER 1_**

Town.

One single word and she got confused like never before. He let her go to town and he didn't expect her to come back. But, why? They made a deal, she was his for the rest of her life, she gave him her word to go with him, forever, in order to make him stop the Ogre Wars and save her family and her people.

Rumplestiltskin was, indeed, a mystery, maybe one she will never gonna solve. She couldn't deny she was intrigued by him, by his cunning mind and his contradictory personality. At first she thought he was a beast, a heartless monster, like everyone else did, but then, after the deal she had the obligation to spend time with him and a couple of months were already passed since that day. She had the chance to observe him every day and despite the poor facade he was desperately trying to keep up, she had the chance to peek behind the curtain of his tragic show and see the real, sad and lonely man behind that imp mask. She remembered in particular the episode with Robin Hood. He did spared his life, despite the fact that he stole from him and she was glad to know that he wasn't dark as people said, that he wasn't what she thought he was, and from that moment on something had changed in the way she saw him, in what she was feeling for him, but she couldn't really figure it out in that short amount of time, with a non co-operative human being like him.

Now, however, she was free to go back to her family, to see her father again and well, marry Gaston maybe. She was engaged to him before the Dark One got her over that infamous deal, even though she didn't want to be hitched to him for the rest of her life. She didn't love him. He was a good guy, she could tell, but he wasn't what she was looking for. She was going to marry him, just because she had to, just because her father's little reign would benefit from that marriage.

On the other hand she wasn't sure about what she was really looking for. As she said to Rumplestiltskin, love, to her was layered, a mystery to be uncovered. Rumplestiltskin was a mystery, but she was pretty sure he didn't want to be uncovered. He had had to make a deal to share his tale about his son and he knew that she wouldn't choose him over the chance to go back to her life, with her family and people in Avonlea. That was his way to hide personal stuff, to avoid any conversation regarding himself and his past. Making deals. That was all he knew and he was so good at it.

She felt sorry for him, but she thought that despite the fact that she'd grew fond of him after those few months spent with him, he was a lost cause, a very intriguing one, but she couldn't really try to love a man who didn't want to be loved, so she thought she was better off that way. After all if she was going to never gonna see him again, her heart would stop aching for his absence, she would forget everything as soon as time would blur her memories of that short period of her life. She really believed all of this.

She was on her way back to Avonlea, carrying just a few things Rumplestiltskin gave to her. After all, when he took her to his castle everything happened so fast that she hadn't got the chance to bring any of her belongings with her, but Rumplestiltskin provided her with some nice clothing and some basic stuff she would need in the everyday life. That was the first thing he did that proved that he wasn't really a monster.

She was walking down the road, minding her business when a noise of a carriage and some horses caught her attention, so she turned back to see who was coming that way and she stepped aside to let them pass. The carriage stopped right beside her.

"Did my carriage splash you?" - asked the woman in black who appeared from inside the vehicle.

"Oh no, I'm... I'm fine." - she smiled graciously and she turned back again to continue her journey.

"You know I'm tired of riding, let me stretch my legs and walk with you for a spell." - the woman in black said with a huge smile on her face which puzzled Belle.

She was a complete stranger, but she couldn't really say no to her, a little company for a while was very welcomed, hers was a really, really long walk and she was all alone.

"You carry very little." - the woman pointed out.

"I don't want to be slowed down." - Belle responded, trying to be polite but at the same time not sharing too much information with a complete stranger.

"Mmh, you're running from someone." - she laughed. "The question is: master or lover?"

How could she know? Belle was a little bit scared from that question. Who was that woman? She felt really uncomfortable and she didn't answer, but she couldn't hide the feelings she was keeping inside herself. They were painted all over her pretty face.

"Oh, master and lover." - the woman grinned in victory, like she didn't need any verbal confirmation from Belle that she was right about that.

Damn! She got her. She was trying to forget Rumplestiltskin, she was free finally, she wouldn't even imagined to have such luck, everybody knew that the Dark One never breaks a deal. Not a single one. But he did, willingly, with her. It was time to be alone again.

"I might take a rest. You... you go on ahead." - Belle didn't want to be rude, but she had a bad feeling about that woman and her prying questions. That wasn't her business at all.

The woman in black didn't even flinch, she, instead, put an arm around Belle and prompted her to keep walking and chatting with her.

"So, if I'm right, you love your employer, but you're leaving him."

Oh well, so be the damn topic out. She guessed she wasn't going to see that woman again after all, what was the harm in confessing her feelings for Rumplestiltskin to her? She didn't even know who they were talking about, right? And besides, if she was going to be honest with herself, she needed to tell someone.

"I might love him. I mean I could, except... something evil has taken root in him." - there! Confession made. Belle thought.

"Sounds like a curse to me. And all curses can be broken. A kiss born of true love would do it." - the was a certainty in the woman's voice that made Belle very curious about the real meaning of that. But then the woman continued talking and she scolded herself for that silly suggestion. "Oh, child, no. I would never suggest a young woman to kiss a man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?"

Yeah... wait, what? Belle wanted to know more, but at the same time she wanted to forget everything and above all, that woman was a stranger but she seemed to know so many things, too many things actually and Belle was scared about that. So she simply agreed that it wasn't really a good advice.

"Right." - she said and she hoped that the awkward conversation was over. It was getting late and she had so many miles to walk to get back home.

"Besides if he loves you, he would've let you go. And if he doesn't love you, well, then the kiss won't even work." - the woman's voice was seducing Belle's mind with those words, she felt like her heart had its own voice and it was telling her to keep that woman talking, make her spill all the secrets to give her the knowledge to unlock the mystery that was Rumplestiltskin.

"Well, he did let me go." - she turned to the woman and stopped on the spot. The sensation of hope washed all over her, so vivid and so beautiful. She had hope. Rumplestiltskin had hope. She would do the brave thing again, she would try to free him then, she would kill the beast inside him and would make him human again. It was too late to erase her feelings for him. She was a fool to even think she would be able to do that, not after all she came to know about him. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to decide that he was worth it.

"Yes, but no kiss happened." - the woman pointed out.

Right, the stranger woman was right, but she had to be sure that a kiss was all she needed to make her plan work. She could tell that Rumplestiltskin had feelings for her too, otherwise he would never let her go, breaking their deal in the process without making her pay any consequence. So the only thing she had to do was gather some courage, find the right moment and kiss him. Not the easiest task in the world, but she wanted to try. After all she had nothing to lose by then, he granted her her freedom and if he didn't want to kiss her she could just decide to go back to her home again like she was already doing.

"And a kiss... A kiss is enough? He'd be a man again?" - wariness and hope mixed in her blue eyes.

"An ordinary man." she paused, looking right into Belle's eyes who gasped at that statement. Then she continued, not breaking eye contact with her. "True Love's kiss will break any curse."

A sentence Belle will never forget. Never in her whole life. A smile was spreading all over her face. She was ready to go back to him and be brave once again.

"Thank you." - she said to the woman in black and quickly she turned and started to walk back towards the Dark Castle.

"No matter dear. It was nice to meet you and help you. Good luck with the kiss." Regina was practically screaming because Belle was almost running down the road back to her former master.

She had such a brilliant mind, the Evil Queen thought to herself. The smug on her face evident now that that silly, gullible, naive girl was going to unknowingly work for her. Her plan to destroy the Dark One was going to work and she didn't even have to steal his dagger and kill him. True Love's kiss would do the job for her. How romantic! She felt sick at the thought of those two kissing, but the image was erased as quickly as it had formed into her mind. So, finally she got back into her carriage and continued her riding. She still had so many errands to take care of.

It was late in the night and Rumplestiltskin was already regretting his decision to let Belle go, to free her from their deal, but he couldn't help himself. The girl was conquering his heart, day after day, answer after answer to his many questions about her personal life, her desires and he had to admit he loved her personality. She was intelligent, brave, cheerful, she laughed at his silly jokes and she was stunning, a real beauty. He would miss her impossibly blue eyes for the rest of his life, which was a huge amount of time, considering he was immortal.

He hoped with all himself that she would be back from town, with the straw he had requested, but as the hours passed, he was losing his hopes, they were crumbling like a broken glass and he should have expected that after all... who was such a fool to come back to him? To the beast? To the monster inside a dark, lonely, cold, castle? Belle was smart, not stupid, she would choose her family, for sure.

However he was up in his tower, staring out the window, trying to spot her shape in the dim light of the night. The moon was almost full so there was a decent light to see the surroundings of the castle.

It wasn't possible! It couldn't be possible! There she was! Or was he imagining things? She was back, carrying a basket full of straw. He couldn't believe it. She was back! For real! He ran down the stairs, like a dog who had just heard his favorite human coming back home and it couldn't wait to greet him with overwhelming joy. No, no, calm down, he scolded himself, he couldn't show such excitement to her. He had a reputation to maintain. He was the Dark One and he wasn't supposed to have feelings for anyone, not good ones at least, because no one could have ever had feelings for him. Belle wasn't different, or was he wrong? She was back after all and she was now crossing the huge courtyard to reach the main doors. Everything was so confusing.

Eventually he managed to calm down and compose himself. He reached for his spinning wheel, sat down and started spinning straw into gold thread. The doors opened as she approached them, a huge smile on her face. She was happy to be back, she now possessed the knowledge to win him over and save him from his horrible curse.  
Attempting to keep his composure he faked indifference when she walked in.

"Oh, you're back already. Good... good thing. I'm, uh... I'm nearly out of straw." - damn, he was such a bad actor, he prayed that she would fall for his words and believe that he wasn't surprised by the fact that she had actually came back.

Not even averting his eyes from her to resume his work at the wheel would make him more believable, on the contrary, that action gave him away even more. He wasn't fooling anyone, he could tell, especially because Belle's smile grew wider at his words and she let out a little sound of smugness, like she knew something that was supposed to be a secret for anyone else.

She walked right in front of him, letting the basket full of straw down on the floor and looking at him through the spokes of the wheel.

"Hmm, come on... you're happy that I'm back." - she was sure of that, but he couldn't admit it out loud.

"I'm not unhappy." - he smiled.

Ok, he wasn't really denying his happiness about that, he was just twisting the words not to seem weak. She was ok with that.

She giggled softly at his words and his statement was enough to put some more courage into her, enough to walk around the wheel, put both hands on his shoulders and remind him of the little deal they made before he let her go.

"And, uh, you promised me a story."

She was so close, too close, his mind was fogged by her presence there, so near, her scent of roses washing over him, reaching his nostrils, dazing him. Her touch on his shoulders, so soft, so gentle. He couldn't bring himself to look into her blue eyes, he was sure that he was going to drown into them if he did, so he kept looking into the void while she was looking at him, waiting for a response. What was happening? He was confused, very confused.

"Did I?" - he finally looked at her the moment she started to slip her hands from his shoulders.

"Mmhmm. Tell me about your son." - she took the thread from his hands and put it down, away from him, so he wouldn't be able to focus on anything but her and her request for his storytelling. Then she sat down in front of him, resting a gentle hand on his knee to keep a contact with him. He gasped like an idiot, staring at her, gaping in disbelief. Seeing that he was frozen she then repeated herself, trying to gently snap him out of his state of stupor.

"Tell me about your son." - he couldn't really concentrate on his storytelling with her hand on his knee, now could he?

He let out some words, hoping that it would suffice. That story was not one he would like to share with anyone. It still hurt, after all those years, it seemed like yesterday and the pain was so vivid and so real. And to be honest her closeness and the gentle, warm, touch on his knee weren't helping him at all.

"I lost him. There's nothing more to tell, really." - how it all had happened wasn't important. All that mattered was that he was going to find him and ask him to forgive him. No matter the cost and no matter how long it would take.

Belle didn't push him, she could tell that that was a story that pained him, his eyes have always betrayed him, showing his real emotions. But she wasn't going to give it all up so easily.

"And, since then, you've loved no one. And no one has loved you." - she was speaking the truth and she seemed very sorry for him, but that was making Rumplestiltskin even more uncomfortable in that situation and even more confused, why she was so interested in him and his story? Why she didn't go away while she got the chance? A chance he has never given to anyone else before? He was full of questions instead of answers. He suddenly leaned towards her.

"Why did you come back?" - he whispered, voice full of curiosity, his eyes glued to hers, like he was trying to figure out her mind through them.

"I wasn't going to..." - she was honest, he could tell and a bit embarrassed maybe, admitting that she was going to leave him for good, but then she continued. "Then... something changed my mind." - her eyes were wide open, a hopeful and tentative smile on her face, a breath catching in her chest while she was trying to figure out if that was the right moment to kiss him. She decided it was.

She leaned more forward, closing her eyes, letting her feelings guide her and her unexperienced lips until they were over his. He instinctively closed his eyes as well, not able to mutter a single syllable, there was no need for words, he couldn't even remember his own name in that moment. Then she felt it, she felt him, she felt his lips capturing hers, in a sweet, full of love, kiss.

She didn't want it to be over already, but he slowly broke the contact, leaning backwards a bit with a puzzled look on his face, but he kept his eyes shut. She, instead, opened hers.

"Oh... what's happening?" - he whispered, a weird sensation tingling all over his body.

She smiled, watching him. The woman in black was right, a kiss had been enough, he was changing then, his rough appearance turning into a more soft and human form. His eyes turned black for a moment and then the pupils were assuming a more natural shape and the color of the irises turned into a sweet chocolate brown. His skin was turning pink again, instead of that golden-greenish tone. His teeth no more rotten, but white. The beast was going away, leaving him as he was once, a long time ago, just an ordinary, good man.

"Kiss me again, it's working." - she said while caressing his hair on the sides of his head and then sliding down her hands to make them rest on his shoulders.

"What is?" - he was overwhelmed by so many feelings and sensations that he was feeling very very dizzy. He was trying to taste the kiss they had just shared, but suddenly that was overwritten by this new, strong, weird, powerful sensation and he wasn't really able to realize what was happening to him.

"Any curse can be broken." - she said hopefully, trying to make him understand too many things with not enough words.

And then, he was standing up, all at once, like he had been bitten by a wasp, the movement so abrupt that sent the little stool he was sitting on flying in the air and falling a few steps away from them. He was looking at her with fear in his eyes. But then, that fear suddenly turned into anger as soon as the realization that the Dark Curse was slipping away from him hit him.

"Who told you that? Who knows that?" - he was furious, stepping away from her, that little deceiving girl... who gave her the right to do this? Who told her to do this? Was it her plan all along? That's why she decided to go with him willingly when he asked her as a payment for his deal with her father, right? She wanted to be a hero, she told him once, she wanted to be brave, she wanted to show the world that women are as good as men when it comes to heroics. He was such a fool, he really thought she had feelings for him, but no, that couldn't be true.

"I... I... I don't know. She, uh... She... She..." - Belle wasn't scared, she was just very confused, she thought he knew the meaning of all of this. That kiss meant true love, otherwise the curse wouldn't have gone away, like it was happening. Right?

"She..." - he hissed, storming over the covered mirror in the corner of the room, he angrily pulled the drape off of it and started yelling at it.

"You evil soul! This was you! You turned her against me! You think you can make me weak? You think you can defeat me?" - he was beyond fury, his gestures making him even more like the devilish imp for whom he was known.

But the Dark Curse was slowly slipping away from him, he could feel it and Belle could clearly see it in his changing features. He was still fighting to not let it go, but it was a lost battle, True Love's power was winning. The most powerful magic of all couldn't be defeated, no matter how much rage or will or need one had inside. Magic had its own rules and everyone had to subdue to them.

Belle was trying to understand what he was doing and she walked towards him to look better into the mirror and see if there was someone on the other side. When she saw that it was just a regular mirror she dared to ask.

"Who are you talking to?" - he seemed a fool, talking to that mirror which was only reflecting his image, not a trace of magic emerging from it. It was nothing but a stupid, regular mirror.

"The Queen!" - he answered, raising a hand into the air in a theatrical way. Then he turned and used the same gesture again. "Your friend, the Queen!" - madness written all over his now half impish, half human face. He then pointed a finger at her.

"How did she get to you?" - all of that didn't make any sense to Belle. Who was this Queen he was talking about? And why she wanted to defeat him? What the hell was going on?

"The... the Queen? I don't..." - he started to walk menacingly in her direction, almost whispering accusations.

"I knew this was a trick. I knew you could never care for me. Oh yeah! You're working for her. Or is this all you? Is this you being the hero and killing the beast?" - he was one step away from her, but the Dark Curse was still lingering into him. But she didn't care. She took his hands in hers.

"It was working..." - she said, but she couldn't even finish the last word that he slapped away her hands.

"Shut up!" - he was screaming, but she was determined to make him see her point.

"This means it's true love!" - she was screaming too, trying to reason with him, to make him see that it wasn't a trick of any sort, it was just true love, a pure feeling that she had kept and nurtured inside herself for a while since they met. And he did too, if what the Queen said was true.

"Shut the hell up!" he retorted, screaming even louder.

"Why won't you believe me?" - his stubbornness made her yell that question, louder than she intended to. It was crystal clear now that the curse was leaving his body, his mind and his soul forever. Why couldn't he see that? He loved her and she loved him, that was for sure, otherwise the kiss wouldn't even work, but was that really true? Or she was the one who had been tricked by the woman on the road? She didn't know enough about magic, but she knew enough about feelings and she felt love in that brief kiss they had shared. She had no time to dwell on her doubts because he was grabbing her by her shoulders, shaking her and shouting right before her face, flames in his eyes.

"Because no one, no one, could ever, ever love me!" - and with those words the argument was over, he was silently dragging her through the room, pulling her by her arm, even hurting her a bit when she tried to pull back.

"Where are you taking me?" - she was sad and sorry for him, he was almost human again, but the Dark Curse was hard to defeat and he was still very strong, she couldn't free herself from his tight grip.

He didn't answer her.

"Are you going to throw me out, like a piece of garbage? Because I won't leave you, not after what happened." - she had just maybe found her true love, she couldn't bear to find it and lose it the very same day.

Still, no answer came from him. But the path they were taking was clear now for Belle. It was the path to her "room", because room sounded a lot nicer than dungeon.

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_**Author's note:** Please feel free to comment and criticize (in a constructive way, I will not answer to rude people), it will be truly appreciated and don't be afraid to say what you really think. I'm here to please my readers and to improve my work and the story. I have a few chapters ready already, I'll try to update regularly but I can't assure you anything on a regular basis, sorry but sometimes I'm very busy, you know, real life..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: **Thank you for the positive comments and the warm welcome that you gave me. Since you've been so nice I decided to upload chapter 2 earlier than planned. As I said, I knew that the first chapter wasn't really new and interesting but that was the starting point, the pivotal moment when things changed in the timeline. The story will continue to have something from the original story and something new, after all I changed just a variable in the equation. Sorry, this is a short one, but the next ones will be longer, I promise!

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_**CHAPTER 2**_

The door slammed loudly behind Belle, after he tossed her into the "room" so strongly that she fell on her knees on the ground. It was cold. Not only the floor, but all around her and inside her. Just a few moments before everything was so warm and beautiful. What happened then?

She didn't know and couldn't really understand why he reacted that way, but it seemed she had plenty of time to think about it.

Rumplestiltskin stood still for a brief moment nearby the door. Guiltiness and weakness were creeping up inside him. The Dark Curse was fading more quickly now that he was slowly calming down. He couldn't keep up that fight, he had to surrender to the power of True Love.

When he tried to take a step to go back upstairs he almost fell down as he felt a fit of pain right where he has injured his leg a long time ago. With the Dark Curse going away, the limp was coming back, as painful as he remembered. He could barely move without a crutch or a cane and he had nothing there to help him sustain him while walking. He was tempted to ask Belle to help him but he was still too angry with her that he swiftly put aside that thought.

Then, with the last bit of magic that was flickering on the tips of his fingers he conjured a black cane with a golden handle and that was it: the Dark Curse was finally gone. Forever.

Belle stood up and went to sit down on what was supposed to be a bed in the corner of the room. Listening to him stepping away from the dungeon, she noticed an odd thump accompanying the noise of his footsteps, but that wasn't really important right now. Her biggest concern was what he was planning to do with her and how she could make him see the truth about what happened between them. She needed a chance to explain it to him, without him getting mad. She had to earn his trust, it would be a difficult thing to do, a very long term achievement to reach, but she was so willing to try. She couldn't give up on him, not now that her feelings have just become crystal clear. But for now, all she could do was just sit and wait for him to come back down there.

Rumplestiltskin was wandering around his castle to see what changed now that the Dark Curse wasn't there anymore. At a first look it seemed like everything was just like it has always been. The magic was still there, even if he had no control over it anymore. That meant that he couldn't open the secret vaults he has concealed with his magic during all those centuries spent in there. That was unfortunate! He kept so many valuable things in there, things he could use to try to restore his powers, or at least to help him pursue his goal to find his son.

His ability to see the future didn't warn him about any of this. The seer told him that a boy would be his undoing. Not a beautiful woman, with a good heart and gorgeous blue eyes. So, if the prophecy was still valid, this situation was part of the plan, so there had to be a way out. No need to panic after all. That thought didn't really make him feel any better, so many questions were swirling into his mind, maybe there was a way out but he didn't know how to find it yet and that was the worst part.

"Wait a second..." - he hissed even though he was alone. Suddenly, a thought, a very bad one, hit him.

He wished he could run, but as soon as he tried to do it, his leg was throbbing with pain again. He stiffened for a moment, overwhelmed by it, he took a deep breath to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. He needed a medicine to kill the pain, as soon as possible, he thought. When the leg stopped hurting he walked, as quickly as he could, to his bedchamber. He went straight to the wall in front of his king size bed, leaned his cane onto it and removed the large painting hanging there. A barely visible handprint shaped like his own right hand was engraved into the wall behind the painting. He did it with magic, but it didn't own any magical properties. What was behind that wall couldn't be imprisoned or concealed by a magic less powerful than its own. And there was almost no magic more powerful than that. So that handprint was just a trigger to open a secret passage, like any old fashioned, self-respecting castle should have. Of course only his hand would fit the handprint and the wall itself was imbued with a very strong protection spell so that it wouldn't crumble down at that first fireball threw at it, if ever someone tried to break in.

He put his right hand onto the mark and the wall trembled under his touch. A small portion of it, one big enough to let him in, lifted up from the ground to grant him access to the small secret room. Inside, there was a small pedestal, with a weapon rack crafted to hold a dagger. As soon as he gazed at it, a flicker of panic made him shiver.

The dagger was gone and he had no idea of where it was or if still existed.

He fell down on his knees, grabbing the small pedestal and cried. Without his dagger he had no chance to be the Dark One again and find his son. Everything he worked for was destroyed, everything he hoped to do once his plan was finally enacted was gone, forever. He lost. He felt lost, more than ever before.

He stayed there for several minutes, slumped on the ground, leaning his back onto the pedestal, sobbing and drowning in the tears of his desperation, when a faint noise reached his ears. Someone entered into the castle. That wasn't really the best time to receive a visit.

When he arrived in the main hall, a familiar figure stood before his eyes.

"Flimsy locks." she laughed, not looking at him, but instead she was filling a cup of tea for herself since there was a tray with a shimmering tea set on the table.

"What do you want?" - he growled in a low tone.

She stirred the tea and finally looked at him.

"Oh, you look horrible Rumple, what happened?" - she then took a sip from the cup.

"I asked you, what, do, you, want? - he paused after every word, still growling, anger all over his face.

"Calm down, you're not powerful anymore, I can tell from your human aspect. I'm the one with magic here now, not you." - she put the cup back on the tray.

"I won't ask you again Regina. Tell me what you want or leave." - he stood still right where he was.

She covered some distance between them with a big smile on her face.

"Nothing. I have all I need and I will have what I've always desired after casting the curse on this land and you, apparently will have nothing." - she laughed again, still walking towards him.

"I know there's you behind this deception that took away my powers. I will make you pay for this. I'll get my magic back and I'll make you squirm in pain and suffer for the rest of your life." - it seemed that at least the wit gained after all those years as the Dark One was still in him.

She regarded him, raising her brows and slightly tilting her head with a baffled expression on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I did nothing." - she shrugged.

"Don't make me a fool Regina! You're lying!" - he shouted now that she was a step away from him.

"Am I?" - she didn't lose her composure, sticking to her version of the story.

"Go, away." - he commanded, trying to stay as upright as he could, ignoring the pain in his lame leg.

"But I didn't tell you why I am here. I wanted to discuss a deal about a certain mermaid." - the tone of her voice was mocking him.

"I'm not dealing today." - he looked like he was about to explode, fury in his eyes.

"Oh... is this about that girl I met on the road?" - now even her facial expression was mocking him. "What was her name? Margie? Verna?"

"Belle." - he pronounced her name like it was precious to him, almost whispering.

"Right. Well, nice girl Rumple, too bad she's not around now, I would have liked to say hello." - a fake pout on her face.

"We're done." - and with that he limped to the main doors, leaving her behind.

She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I have other calls to make." - she slid two fingers on the table while walking to him. He was standing still near the now open doors, waiting for her to leave.

"Mh, the place is looking dusty Rumple. I hope you will keep the girl." - with that last remark she was finally gone.

The doors closed behind Regina and he was alone, once again. Among all the things he had to do, he also had to think about what to do with Belle. Placing the blame on her and get rid of her was the easiest way to deal with that problem. The cowardly way, the one he knew very well. He didn't have time to waste and keeping her around will have surely ended up in talking and arguing and explaining himself to her. No, she became useless now, even as a caretaker, she would have been more a problem than a help. Yes, be the dust in the castle damned, he had more important things to take care of.

It was almost dawning and he decided to deal with that problem right then. He went downstairs to the dungeon, opened the door, and walked in, trying to hide the limp as best as he could. She noticed the cane in his hand, but she said nothing about it.

"So... what are you going to do to me?" - Belle asked, still sitting in the corner.

"Go." - he was standing there, perfectly calm and composed, pointing at the door for a few moments. Then he turned away from her.

"Go?" - she didn't expect that, she had had a few hours to think about this moment and what would happen when he finally would come back to her.

She thought he was going to torture her or grab her and throw her out, or hire someone to kill her for the terrible thing she has apparently done to him.

"I don't want you anymore, dearie."

She thought about what to do for a few seconds. Anyone in her situation would leave with no hesitation. So she stood up and with a conflicted look on her face she stalked out the door, passing behind his back.

She was offered twice the chance to leave the beast's castle, she would never have that chance again. But wasn't that the point? He did let her go twice already, he offered her freedom over anything bad he could have done to her, breaking their deal the first time, sparing her a lifetime of captivity and now he was not taking revenge on her in any way. She was free to go, as simple as that. Again.

That meant only one thing to her: he had feelings for her, in his own twisted way he felt something for her. He wasn't the monster he pretended to be. That was exactly the reason she had to stay, to make him see that there was good in him and he hadn't to be afraid of showing it, not to her at least. She stopped in her tracks at that realization and she suddenly stormed back to him.

"You have freed yourself. You could have happiness if you just believed that someone could want you. But you can't take the chance." - she was standing there in front of him, she seemed angry but she wasn't. She was just determined to make him see the truth of the events that occurred that day.

"That's a lie." - he didn't flinch at her words, nor he did at her determination.

"You're a coward, Rumplestiltskin. And no matter how thick you make your skin, that doesn't change." - she was trying to shake him a bit, to make him react somehow.

"I'm not a coward, dearie. It's quite simple, really. My power, meant more to me, than you." - he was still calm, but inside he was impatient to get over this argument.

"No. No, it didn't. You just don't think I can love you. Now, you've made your choice. And you're going to regret it, forever. And all you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup."

Thank God, she was done it seemed. Just a few seconds more and she would be out of his castle, out of his mind, out of his life and more importantly out of his heart. Forever.

But then she was talking once again.

"But I've made my own choice. I decided to stay here, no matter what you want or what you say. I'm not leaving, I'm not giving up on this. I'll make you see that you're wrong, no matter how long it will take." and with that said she went back to sit in the corner, waiting for him to lose it.

But he didn't. He remained silent, he was exhausted and he knew it was pointless to argue with her, she was too determined. So he simply walked out the dungeon and closed the door. But he didn't lock it.

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**Author's note:** Oh-oh... where is the dagger now? What is Belle going to do? You know, he's a difficult man to love, but our Belle is brave. Stay tuned if you want to know!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** thanks for sticking around. Enjoy this chapter!

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_**CHAPTER 3**_

Belle tried to rest a bit, she didn't sleep so much because of what had happened. She had barely three hours before getting up and run her chores in the castle. She wasn't leaving so the least she could do was keeping the castle clean and take care of him by serving meals and tea at the proper time.

When she got up, too early for her taste, a little headache was annoying her, but she hoped it would pass after having a good breakfast. She adjusted her hair a bit, smoothed her blue maid dress and slipped her shoes on, ready to start the day, not knowing what to expect from Rumplestiltskin.

She went upstairs, heading for the kitchen to make some french toasts and tea for her and the lord of the castle. He always has breakfast at 7:30 so it was a bit of a surprise when she carried the tray with his meal into the main hall and he wasn't there.

She was standing in front of the empty table, unsure on what to do next. She was concerned, but at the same time she didn't want to upset him more by intruding in his private bedchamber or disturbing him on whatever he was doing. After a while she decided to take the risk, concern winning over cautiousness and after placing the tray on the table she went upstairs, looking for him. She tentatively knocked at the door of his bedchamber. Nobody answered. Maybe he was deeply asleep, so she cracked the door open to peek inside, just to make sure he wasn't really there. The bed was empty and perfectly made up. He didn't even try to sleep.

She continued to look for him, the next stop was his tower. She walked up the long spiral staircase that led there and she opened the door, without even knocking.

There he was, collapsed on the ground, a vial in his hand and a book spread on his chest. His hair was ruffled and he looked so pale. He was snoring a little and he looked so cute to Belle's eyes. She stepped inside to reach him and she grabbed gently his right shoulder, shaking him a bit.

"Rumple, wake up." - Rumple? Since when she was allowed to call him by a pet name? She couldn't help herself, he looked so fragile and adorable.

He mumbled something unintelligible and continued to sleep. She tried again to shake him, with a little more strength.

"No, no, Bae! No, please, don't do it! Please!" - he was screaming, it seemed that he was having a nightmare.

Belle jumped a bit back, startled by his reaction. Then she kneeled down in front of him and put a hand on his forehead. He was burning.

"Oh my God Rumple, you have a very bad fever! Come on, you need to wake up and try to stand up so I can take you to your bed." - she said firmly, trying to pull him up by his arms.

He was finally waking up.

"Belle..." - he whispered when he looked right into her eyes.

"Yes, I'm here, now please, try to stand up." - she helped him to an upright position.

He obeyed her, without any objection but when she tried to make him walk forward by pushing him by his back, with his right arm wrapped around her shoulders so she could be his human crutch, he cried out.

"What's wrong?" - she asked, immediately stopping there.

"My... my leg... hurts." - he murmured.

He was phisically paying all those hours spent standing, looking for a spell, or a potion or whatever could bring his powers back.

"Ok, put your weight on me and don't load any of it on that foot. Come on, you can't stay here in this condition."

He did as she said and they slowly walked downstairs to his bedchamber. Belle made him sit on the rim of the mattress and started undressing him by pulling off his leather boots and then working on the buttons of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" - he asked, not fully concious of what was happening around him.

"I'm changing you into more comfortable clothes to make you sleep." - she answered like it was the most normal thing in the world to do.

"But..." - he tried to protest but she didn't allow him.

"No, no buts and no whims, you do as I say this time. You need to get back your strength. I'm here to help you Rumple." - she continued in her task to undress him as fast as she could.

"Rumple... I like that." - his feverish and delusional state let those words and a tentative smile slip from his lips.

She smiled back, taking off his shirt and unbuckling his leather waistband in order to take off his pants as well.

He panicked, suddenly grabbing her wrists, making her stop.

"Rumple, relax, it's ok. It's me." - she looked right into his eyes, smiling softly.

"Belle, you... you don't... you don't have to do this, you're free to go, I let you go." - he was almost begging her.

"But I want to do this, I want to be here with you, I want to help you. Now, please, let me finish and I'll bring you something to eat if you feel well enough, ok?"

He nodded slightly letting her wrists go and closing his eyes while she slid his leather pants down his legs. His scarred leg now full on display.

She noticed that long, wrinkled scar on his knee which ran down to his ankle but she didn't say a word about it, nor even changed her facial expression to show some disgust or any other emotion. She simply stood up, gathering his clothes to put them on an armchair and went to his dresser to pick one of his silk pajamas. She chose a dark red one and she brought it to him.

"Can you put this on?" - she asked.

He nodded, taking the clothes and shivered when their hands brushed.

"Ok, good, I'm going downstairs to get you something to eat." - she said, caressing his cheek.

He stayed still for a while after she left his room, mesmerized by her. No one has ever showed such kindness to him before. No one, not even his late wife, or all the other women who claimed to love him. He was kinda sure that all of this couldn't be real, he bet that he was still collapsed in his lab, dreaming.

She went downstairs to the main hall, the french toasts and the tea she made almost two hours before were already cold, so she headed to the kitchen to make new ones. When everything was ready she went back to him.

He managed to change into his pajamas and get under the blankets by the time Belle got back to his room.

"You're still awake, good." - she said entering the room and looking at him.

He looked so tired and older than ever, like there was something consuming him, not just that bad fever. She was very concerned for him, but she didn't let it show.

She, instead, sat beside him on the bed and placed the tray on his lap.

"Now, try to eat this and then you can rest and sleep." - she said gently to him, a smile always present on her lovely face.

He peacefully ate his breakfast while she stayed there, with him, in complete silence, just content to be in his company. When he was done, she picked up the tray and stood up, but before leaving him she bent down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. He closed his eyes at the gesture, fully tasting the sensation and released a deep breath he didn't know he was holding. He didn't dare to open his eyes again, afraid that she would disappear and he would find himself back on the ground in the tower. He immediately drifted off into a deep sleep, the fever taking over him eventually.

Then Belle went to the kitchen again, to eat her breakfast too, but she couldn't really concentrate on the food because she couldn't stop thinking about what could have made Rumple so upset. It couldn't be just about the loss of his dark magic, there should have been something else, something more personal, something with a deeper meaning and she was determined to figure that out.

She left half of the toast in the plate, took the last sip of tea and headed to the tower. When she arrived there she picked up the book Rumple was reading before falling asleep on the floor. It was a spell book and he left it open on some summoning and conjuring spells. Apparently Rumple was trying to retrieve something, maybe something he had lost, an object maybe, but what? Unfortunately Belle didn't know. She knew just a thing for sure: books have never, ever failed her. So she searched the bookshelves that were towering all around the circular room in the attempt of finding more information about those spells and about the Dark One in general. As she kept searching and reading, sitting on the floor and without sticking her nose out of all those books, she lost track of time. She finally realized that the sun was setting because the room was getting darker as the sun was sinking down the horizon and she was having a hard time reading the inked words. Suddenly she stopped reading and looked around herself: she was completely surrounded by piles and piles of books. She could barely move her legs to stand up. When she managed to get up she left everything as it was to rush downstairs to check on him. When she arrived at his bedchamber she was almost breathless, cheeks red from the run. She composed herself a bit before entering the room.

He was still asleep, curled on his right side, his back to the door. She tiptoed next to the bed, to take a better look at him and that was the moment she realized he was sweating too much. A large stain of sweat covered the sheet under him and the pillow where he rested his head maybe just minutes before. She put the palm of her hand on his forehead, the temperature was impossibly high.

"Rumple! Rumple! Wake up!" - she shook him to wake him.

He groaned but didn't move, nor woke up. So she tried, again and again with no results. She grew desperate after a while and there were tears running down her face as she couldn't find a solution for the problem. If she couldn't find a way to lower his temperature there was a high chance that he was going to die. Fianlly she got an idea. She rushed out to the stable where he kept a few horses for his carriage. There was one that she liked to call Philippe, a sweet palomino that she loved with all her heart and the feeling seemed mutual. She needed his help now and she was sure he was willing to help her.

"Hey Philippe. Come here." - the horse greeted her with a soft and cheerful whinny.

She put his halter on and she led him out in the courtyard. Luckily the castle was surrounded by mountains and even if it was almost spring there was still a large amount of snow on the ground.

She attached Philippe to a small cart and took a shovel with her. She started loading the cart with a large amount of iced snow and when she thought it was enough she led Philippe inside the main hall of the castle.

"Ok, wait here. Good boy." - she caressed his large and soft nose and he gently bumped her hand with it.

Then she dashed upstairs. She had to find a way to bring the snow up there, or bring him downstairs. She decided that the second solution would be faster and easier, if only he could wake up and walk a bit.

"Rumple, please, you have to wake up. I need you to get up and walk downstairs, please." - this time she was gently stroking his hair, almost whispering into his ear.

He rolled over and half opened his eyes.

"Belle, you're still here." - he mumbled in disbelief.

"Yes, I am, but please try to get up again now." - she helped him into a sitting position by gently pulling him by his arm.

He stretched his legs off of the bed, both hands grasping the rim of the mattress to keep him balanced.

"You ready?" - she asked, ready to catch him if he was going to fall.

He nodded and put his feet on the floor and with Belle's help, he was now standing. She took his arm and put it around her shoulders and she grabbed him by his waist. After a few minutes and some stumbles they managed to enter the main hall. Rumple saw the horse standing there, near the dining table.

"What...?" - he tried to ask but he suddenly stopped, maybe that was the fever making him have hallucinations, he thought.

Yes, this was clearly a dream.

"Don't worry Rumple, he's here to help you." - ok, that made even less sense to him.

Belle guided him behind the horse where there was a cart, she instructed him to hold onto it while she went to fetch a chair. She placed it behind the rear of the cart.

"Now I want you to get up here and then on the cart, can you do that?" - she was looking right into his eyes, trying to encourage him.

He frowned, not sure about what she was making him doing. Well, that was all a dream after all, right? So he humored her. He placed a foot on the chair, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Sensing that he wasn't feeling good, Belle tried to support him by grabbing his legs.

"Come on Rumple, you can do it, slowly, one step at time." - her voice and her hands on him worked like magic on his numb mind and body.

He stepped forward, covering the small gap between the chair and the cart and a sensation of deep cold made his feet tingle.

"What the...?" - he looked down and saw a large amount of snow before him.

"It's just snow Rumple, it will help you lower your temperature. Trust me. Now please, lie down on it." - her lovely voice begging him to do as she said.

He kneeled down and then he rolled over to lie down on his back upon the snow. The cold was intense, but the sensation wasn't so bad. A sort of quiet filled him. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep again. Belle climbed up the cart and covered Rumple's body with snow. She wasn't wearing gloves and her hands became numb and red because of the cold, but she didn't care, all that mattered to her was Rumple now. She scolded herself for all those hours passed in the lab, reading books without checking on him as often ad she should've done. She didn't imagine that a fever could be this high on a grown up man and she thought that a bit of sleep would be the best thing to lower the temperature and make him feel better rather quickly. She was so damn wrong and she hoped it wasn't too late.

She jumped off the cart to grab a cushion and then got back on to sit beside Rumple, petting his hair, constantly checking his temperature on the forehead.

After almost half an hour Rumple slowly opened his eyes. Belle smiled, still stroking his hair, staring at him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" - she asked softly.

"Mmh... better I think. A bit cold... where am I?" - he was blinking his drowsy eyes.

"You're buried in some snow. I'm sorry, I had to do this because your fever was getting worse. But now I think you can get out of it."

He didn't react at her words, he was tired and confused and above all he was still trying to figure out if he was really living those moments or he was still dreaming.

She started removing the snow to uncover Rumple's body. His pajamas was completely soaked and so cold, he clearly needed another change of clothes. When he was enough uncovered, she reached out her hand to him.

"Can you stand up?"

"I think so, yes." - he took her hand and stood up beside her on the cart.

"Ok, now we have to get off. Be careful and put your weight on me if you feel like falling." - she jumped off the cart, still holding his hand to help him down.

"Thank you." - he said.

She simply answered him with a beautiful smile. She has never heard him sincerely thank anyone before. Those were the most precious words he has ever said to her.

"If you think you can go and change your clothes I'll clean up this mess and start dinner. I hope you're hungry."

"Yes, I think so." - he looked down at his wet pajamas.

He didn't remember how he got into it in the first place. He blushed a bit, thinking about the fact that Belle was the only other human being in that castle and she must have been the one who undressed him. How embarrassing! And the scar on his leg, she must have seen it. Oh no! No! No! He didn't dare to look at her again.

"What's wrong?" - she asked, noticing the hint of panic on his face.

"Oh, nothing, I just... I just need my cane to be able to walk, can you get it for me?"

"Sure, where is it?"

"Upstairs, in the tower."

"Ok, wait here, I'll be right back."

The moment she was out of the room he started to damn himself. How could he have been so stupid? He played with potions and magic, but he should have known that now he wasn't immune to their effects. He almost killed himself and if it wasn't for Belle...

"She saved me..." - he whispered, the realization making his heart racing and he wished to be able to slow it down.

Philippe turned his head and stared at him snorting softly. Rumple, looked at him raising a brow.

"What? I know that you and her are friends, but you're not allowed into the castle."

Philippe whinnied loudly.

"I said no. No matter how much you helped her. You will go back to the stable." - he said, pointing his finger at him.

The horse started rasping on the ground, snorting with his head down.

"I don't care." - Rumple crossed his arms and shaked his head.

Philippe turned around and covered the distance between them and started sniffing him. His warm breath was creating an intense contrast on the cold and wet fabric of Rumple's clothes, making the man slightly uncomfortable.

"It seems he likes you." - Belle's voice came from behind him and he turned his head as soon as he heard it.

She was carrying his cane and she giggled unabashedly.

"Well, I don't like him and he must get out of here right now." - his attempt to sound deadly serious made Belle laugh even more.

"I don't believe you, but yes, I'm taking him back to the stable now."

Philippe snorted again.

"Sorry Philippe, you've been a very good boy so I'll bring you some carrots after dinner, ok?"

The horse moved his head up and down vigorously.

Belle gave the cane to Rumple and she grabbed Philippe's reins to bring him back to his box. The horse bumped Belle's shoulder playfully and she laughed.

Her laugh was a beautiful sound to Rumplestiltskin's ears. But as much as he wanted to believe that she could really love him, he simply couldn't. First of all he knew that he didn't deserve her and second of all he needed to find his son, he had no time to waste and unless she was able to use magic or knew where to find a magic bean to create a portal to the world without magic, well... he didn't need her. Truth was that she was still there and she has just saved his despicable life for apparently no reason. He had thanked her and he didn't owe her anything, he had already offered her freedom, more than once. He didn't have anything else to give her. The only way to convince her to go away was to make her hate him.

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**Author's note:** isn't Philippe cute? I wish there was more of him and Belle on OUAT... *_*


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: **If any of you were wondering, sadly I don't own Once Upon a Time... nor Robert Carlyle or Emilie de Ravin, which is really a shame...

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_**CHAPTER 4**_

When Belle came back from the stables, Rumple wasn't in the main hall anymore. She thought he was upstairs, changing his pajamas, so she went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She decided to make something quick and warm so she opted for a vegetable soup. Once the meal was ready, she brought it to Rumple. The door of his room was closed.

"Can I come in?" - she asked standing in front of the door, since her hands were busy carrying the tray with food and she couldn't knock.

He opened the door for her, to let her in.

"You look much better now." - she said, regarding him while placing the tray on his nightstand.

"What's that?" - he asked in a disgusted tone, glancing at the bowl of soup.

"It's a vegetable soup. It's good for your health and it's warm. I thought..." - he interruped her.

"I don't want that, I don't want anything from you anymore!" - he growled turning away.

She frowned, looking down for a brief moment, then she moved to stand in front of him.

"I've already told you that you're not gonna get rid of me. Now, eat your supper and don't be childish!" - she wasn't shouting, but her tone was a little louder than usual.

He closed his eyes, lifted his chin up and crossed his arms. She clenched her jaw and snorted at his behavior, but she knew he wasn't going to say anything.

"Goodnight Rumplestiltskin." - she left him alone.

When she was gone, he released a deep breath. He needed her out of his life before it was too late. His feelings for her were growing stronger day after day and they were getting more diffucult to ignore, not to mention to ignore her when she was so close to him. He could smell her scent while she was standing there in front of him and it was intoxicating. He wished he could nuzzle her hair and breath her in for the rest of his life. Except he couldn't indulge in any of it.

Belle lost her appetite after that little argument. She couldn't understand why he was being so stubborn and unpleasant. She went into her dungeon and collected her belongings to bring them upstairs, in a more comfortable room. She was free, he said, so she was going to use her freedom as much as she liked. She settled in a room, not so far from Rumple's. There were a double bed, with clean white sheets and a soft and warm red comforter, a nice dresser, two nightstands but no mirrors. Of course.

She placed her stuff in the room and then changed into a white, short, silk nightgown. Another gift that Rumple gave to her a few days after their deal and she remembered how he had dismissed the gesture with a simple statement.

_"Well, you can't really sleep naked or with that puffy, golden dress forever, dearie." _

That happened the day after he spared Robin Hood's life. Tears were forming in Belle's eyes at the memory. Now she realized that she was already in love with him back then. But he was so determined to reject her at all costs. She knew deep in her heart that he was lying to her and to himself, she knew that he felt the same thing for her, but he was a coward. That much was clear.

She couldn't stop the tears from running free down her face while she curled up in the new, much more comfortable, bed. If only she could fix whatever was troubling him, she was sure he would finally accept his feelings for her.

In the meanwhile Rumplestiltskin decided that he was feeling good enough to go back to the tower, he had slept for pretty much one day and a half, he didn't need more rest.

He picked up an ornate candle holder and snapped his fingers to lit the candle by magic, but of course it didn't work. He released a frustrated snort and looked for a match to lit that stupid wick before stepping out his bedchamber. As he closed the door, he noticed that a feeble light was coming out through the crack under the door of another room along the corridor.

_"Belle... she can't really stay put, can she?" - _he thought before heading to the tower.

The door was open and he could spot the mess inside the room from the last step of the stair. He had not left the room like that, he was sure, he remembered the hours before the fever very clearly. That must have been Belle. That intrusive little girl.

He entered the room to examine what she had done. Piles and piles of spell books were covering the floor near a bookshelf, which was almost empty now. What she thought she could do with those books? Cast a spell on him? Why did she pry so much into his private lab, his magic book collection and above all, his life?

She didn't have the right to do that. He couldn't take anymore risks. That was enough. She had to leave. Right then. He stormed out the lab, heading downstairs.

When he arrived in front of what he supposed was her new room, he didn't even bother to knock at the door, he simply pushed it open, making the wood bang on the stone wall.

"Belle!" - he yelled making her jerk and sit up on the bed. The sheet now covering just her bare legs.

"How... ? What... ?" - she couldn't formulate a proper question, too startled by his sudden intrusion.

"You have ten minutes to gather your things and leave. I don't want to see you anymore. Don't make me tell this once again or..."

"Or what? You don't have powers anymore and you gave me back my freedom."

He didn't know how to reply.

"But ok, if my presence here makes you so upset I'll leave." - she continued.

"Good." - he seemed a bit ashamed of himself.

"I have just one request: since it seems that I have a long journey ahead, can I take Philippe with me? You'll still have enough horses for your carriage after all."

"Well, it's just a horse and like I said, I don't like it, so take it away from here. One mouth less to feed." - he has lost his impish tone along with the Dark Curse, but he sounded a lot like the Dark One in that moment.

"Thank you." - she kept staring at him, like she wanted to engrave his features in her mind to remember him better.

"This is a goodbye then..." - she trailed off the last word.

It was more a statement than a real question.

"Yes, it is." - he hissed.

When a long silence fell into the room, he turned around and walked out the door.

She got out of the bed and rushed past him, standing just a mere inch away from his face. Her deep blue eyes burning with fierceness, but despite that she looked so fragile in that moment.

"I'm not sorry for whatever I did to you, I know deep down in my heart that there's nothing to be sorry for. But that doesn't change that you're too cowardly to be honest with me and tell me what's wrong instead of pushing me away. You don't need magic Rumple, you need courage, to let me in."

She hold her gaze on him a few seconds more before going back into the room, shutting the door behind her.

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. It was done. No regrets. No turning back. She will be gone, forever, she wasn't coming back. Not ever again.

A sense of emptiness suddenly wrapped around his heart, almost painful, but he immediately dismissed it.

_"She will be fine..." _- he thought and got back to his lab in the tower.

Belle leaned her back against the door, trying to steady herself, not letting the sudden despair overwhelm her. She couldn't break down, not yet. She needed to resist in order to gather her things and leave the castle.

She changed her clothes and put a few comfortable ones in a backpack, along with her necklace and a couple of books she really wanted to bring with her. The golden ball gown was left hanging in the wardrobe and the blue maid dress was resting on an armchair. She couldn't help the tears that escaped from her eyes while she was standing by the door, taking a last glance around that room. Her room. She hadn't even spent a night in there, but with all her things placed here and there, it was hard to see it in another way.

She closed the door and she headed out to the stables to get Philippe and leave the place, forever.

"Hey Philippe. What about a ride?" - she said to the horse who greeted her as usual.

She put the saddle and bridles on him and mounted on. She was wearing a leather outfit, complete with leather gloves and boots and a green cloak. The nights up there were chilly. The moon was almost full and there were no clouds to block its light, it was a starry, bright night.

Rumplestiltskin was observing her from the tower window taking a last glance on her perfect figure, even more beautiful now that she was riding a horse with her hair down, in a chestnut cascade of curls. He was going to miss her so badly.

When she was out of sight, he sighed and resumed his desperate attempt to get his powers back. Reading spell books and brewing potions. He was even trying to light a candle with magic again, but with to no avail. But he was determined to try anything that could bring him the hope to find a way back to his Baelfire.

The path into the forest was dark and scary, but Belle and Philippe had each other to rely on and, besides, the first small village on that route wasn't so far away. They would make it there before sunrise.

When they arrived at the village there was nobody around, only a light inside the tavern was shining in the darkness. She hitched Philippe to a post and dismounted to get into the tavern.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" - she asked when she stepped inside.

The innkeeper came out from a back room.

"Hello there! How may I help you?" - the man asked politely.

"I need a room and a box for my horse." - she answered.

"Sure! Do you have the money?" - he inquired.

Money... Right! How could she have been so damn stupid to forget to get some money for her trip?

"I... I... I'm afraid, I don't." - she looked mortified.

"Well, then... you can go somewhere else." - the innkeeper nonchalantly started to clean the counter.

"I will come back and pay you. I'm the daughter of the duke of a town in Avonlea." - she hoped he would recognize the name of the kingdom she came from.

"Avonlea? Is that a realm?" - he asked, not really interested.

How far was she from there? Going back to her town and her people seemed terribly difficult in that moment.

"Yes, it is, but I'm guessing you don't know it. Nevermind then, thanks anyway." - she smiled politely and turned to exit the place.

"Wait. I might give you what you requested as long as you help me here for a while. Let's say a week." - the innkeeper offered.

"Deal!" - her smile was more genuine this time, but the word that had just escaped from her mouth made her think about him and she twitched her lips.

"Good. Here's the key to the stable, you can put your horse in the first box on the right and then come back here. I'll give you a room to rest." - she took the key from his hand and went out.

She was stuck there for a week, but at least she had food and a place for her and Philippe to sleep and be safe and more importantly something to do and keep her mind busy and not to think about him.

Four days passed at the tavern and Fabrice the innkeeper was glad that he made that deal with Belle. She was a nice girl, always cheerful and a hard worker, she didn't really seem a duke's daughter. It happened one night that a bunch of guys got drunk and she handled their obviously unwelcome sexual advances with elegance. She managed to keep the rude customers entertained enough to stay there, keep drinking and spill a large amount of money from their pockets without giving them enough space to get her in any way at the same time. Fabrice observed her very closely from behind the counter and he was really enjoying having Belle working at the tavern. She didn't complain for one second about those drunk guys or the mess they had to clean every night at late hours.

"Belle?" - he called her.

She was wiping a table and she raised her gaze to pay attention to him.

"Come here please, I want to talk to you." - he motioned her to come to him with his index finger.

"Did I do something wrong?" - she asked, a bit worried when she got there.

"No, no, you didn't. On the contrary, you're doing great. So great that I'm thinking about hiring you. You'll have food and a bed, both for you and your horse, some money per week and of course you'll continue to keep the tips." - he smiled warmly.

"Oh... wow! I don't know what to say... Actually I..."

In that moment, a group of five men entered the place, jerking the door open.

"We need volounteers to join us and kill the big bad wolf that is wandering around these woods. We need to slay it before it kills us all. Some sheep have been found mutilated in the past few days and there were giant wolf prints around the bodies. So, who's coming with us?" - one of the men yelled.

A chilly silence fell into the room. Belle was looking at them, like everyone else, some were gaping while staring at the men. Then she turned her head to look at Fabrice. A strange sparkle in her eyes.

"Seriously? You want to go?" - Fabrice whispered to her, understanding what was inside her mind.

"Well, I was just about to tell you that I'm actually looking for some adventures while I go back home. I've always wanted to explore the world and be part of those heroics I read about in my books. Here's my chance I guess." - she smiled coyly, like it wasn't really what a girl was supposed to say and desire, not in that world at least.

"I don't understand, but if that's what you want, you're free to go, even if our deal contemplated a whole week to be fulfilled." - he reminded her about it, hoping that she would stay a few days more and forget about that big bad wolf nonsense.

"I know, that's why I'm giving you all the money I got from tips to you. Is that enough to cover for those last three days?"

"It's more than enough. Keep at least half of it."

She was about to protest but he stopped her.

"Please." - he insisted.

"Thank you. You're a good man Fabrice." - she covered one of his hands with hers on the counter and smiled at him.

He blushed furiously. He may have developed a little crush for that beautiful girl, with those gorgeous eyes and that sexy accent during those four days. Well, nobody could have really blamed him.

"Now go, or you'll miss your chance." - he removed his hand from under hers and averted his eyes, taking a cloth to wipe the counter.

"Thanks again, for everything." - she said to him and then rushed upstairs to change and collect her few belongings, now including a new small dagger she bought in the village for self-defense because you'll never know who you're going to encounter on such a long journey.

The five men had already left by the time she was out of the tavern, but her plan wasn't to go with them. She went to the stable and got Philippe ready, then she left the small village on her own, her heart thumping with excitement.

He was frustrated by the fact that he couldn't find a single information about how to get the Dark Curse back once it had been removed by a true love's kiss. He knew about what would happen if someone killed him with the dagger or what would happen if he commited suicide with it, but nothing about what would happen if a beautiful, sweet girl kissed the Dark One and broke the curse with her true love. He knew that she was his true love, but she wasn't his happy ending, that was Bae and he wanted his happy ending to become real. He knew that he would never find true love again, but honestly he loathed himself so much that he thought he didn't deserve to have it, to have Belle. She was too good for him, even for his human form. He was an old, crippled and not so handsome man who has been consumed by dark magic for centuries, he was addicted to that power so much that he couldn't live without it. So he was going to live without her. It was better this way, she didn't deserve a future of lies, manipulations and tricks played by him. He wasn't going to change, he wasn't able to change and even if he would want to, he didn't know how.

That's why he was still there, in his lab, books open before him, a vial in one hand and ingredients all over the table, trying to get back the only thing that made him feel whole, powerful and in control: magic. And since magic always comes with a price, he guessed he had to pay it by sacrificing his chance at true love with Belle.

Exhausted he decided to take a break. He went to the main hall and sat down in front of his spinning wheel. It has always helped him to clarify his mind, forget bad things and make him calm. But the quiet was soon broken when the doors opened.

"Hello Rumple!" - Regina was there again.

He didn't answer, nor looked at her.

"You don't even say hello to your old friend?" - she mocked him.

He kept spinning, pretending that she wasn't there.

"Oh, come on! I know you hear me. I'm here because I wanted you to know that I have nothing to do with that tragedy." - she was going to have some fun with this story she was going to tell him.

She knew that Belle was adventuring in the woods, looking for the big bad wolf, her spies and henchmen were everywhere around the realms, constantly reporting the whereabouts of the people she was interested in. She alse knew that the little girl couldn't stand a chance against that wild beast, she would die, pretty soon and pretty badly. Her blue eyes wouldn't work on that monster this time, but she had to admit to herself that she had done a very good job with the other monster that was before her eyes right now.

He stopped spinning and looked at her.

"What tragedy?" - he hissed.

"Oh, you don't know? Your little girl tried to get back home after you threw her out of here, but after her stay here, her association with you, no one would want her, not even her father. He shunned her, cut her off, shut her out. She drowned in a river a couple of days ago. I thought you wanted to know." - an evil smile painted on her face.

"I don't believe you." - he growled in a very low tone.

"Why would I lie to you? There's no reason for me to do that." - she shrugged.

"There's always a reason with you." - he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, since you're not believing me I think I will leave. You aren't worth my time anymore." - she turned around to exit the castle, grabbing her long black skirt with a hand, making it swirl in the air.

"That remains to be seen dearie." - that statement escaped his lips with a hint of his old impish voice.

She immediately stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?" - she asked, knitting her brows.

"Oh nothing, her Majesty, nothing..." - he said with a threatening grin on his mouth.

Regina released a nervous snort before proceeding to get out. She knew it was pointless to ask again, but his little comment and that evil grin on his face affected her in a very bad way. She could have killed him on the spot, but she didn't want to, she wanted to see him suffer for a while first, that's why she was there. But now, she was determined to discover what he was talking about, what he was plotting behind her back.

Once the Evil Queen was out of his estate, Rumple, collapsed on his knees, cursing when his lame leg sent a jolt of pain right to his spine. Assuming that what Regina said was the truth and since he didn't have a way to find out, he cried the most painful and bitter tears of his life thinking about Belle. She was dead. He didn't even said goodbye to her. It was all his fault. The worst curse of his life wasn't the Dark Curse, but the fact that he has always managed to push away all the people he loved and the ones who loved him back somehow. First Milah, he really loved her even if she didn't love him back, then Baelfire and now Belle, the most beautiful and kind person he has ever met.

After a while he stood up and walked over to the cupboard to take the chipped cup. Once it was in his hand he stared at it, recalling the sweet memory that the little keepsake carried within itself. The way she looked worried and embarrassed when she dropped it, startled by his stupid evil quip, was carved in his mind and that was the first moment he felt really captured by her beauty, inside and out.

The tears continued to stream down his face while he limped toward a pedestal where a goblet was standing in full display. He replaced the goblet with the chipped cup, sobbing more violently as he did so. She was right after all, all he had now was an empty heart and a chipped cup.

* * *

**Author's note: **Please, don't hate me... You know Rumple is a difficult man and I wanted Belle to live an adventure. But I promise, they will be together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: **I'd like to thank my beta readers because without them I wouldn't be here publishing this story. They're always encouraging me and helping me with grammar and plot issues. Thank you girls for your help and support, it means so much to me.

Let the wolf hunt begin.

* * *

_**CHAPTER 5**_

The sun was almost setting when Belle found herself in the middle of nowhere into the woods surrounding the small village she had left hours ago. The angry clouds seemed to merge into a giant one, promising a very bad storm. She needed to find a place to stay the night. Going back to the village wasn't an option, so she decided to look for a natural shelter, like a cave or a giant hollow tree, anything big enough to let her and Philippe be safe and possibly dry. She took another look at the sky and she knew that they hadn't much time left, a chilly breeze was already blowing. Suddenly something draw her attention, she narrowed her eyes to focus on what seemed to be smoke above the trees. Smoke! It meant there was a house and a fireplace! It also meant that there were people but she knew that not everybody was nice enough to let a stranger in their own house. She had to try, it was their best chance, probably the only one.

She signaled to Philippe to move on and they reached a small clearing in the middle of the woods. There was a small, nice house with a barn nearby. Perfect! There was some space for her beloved horse too.

She dismounted and stepped closer to knock at the door. After a few seconds a beautiful girl, with green eyes and long dark, curled hair opened it.

"Hello. Can I help you?" - she asked with a huge smile on her face.

"Hello. My name is Belle and I'm looking for a place to stay the night and since we're in the middle of nowhere and there's a storm incoming I thought that maybe you have a bed to spare. I... I can pay you." - she said shaking the small pouch hanging from her waistband to let the money in it tinkle a bit.

"It isn't a storm, it's a blizzard, I can smell it. And yes, I think we have a bed to spare and some straw and hay for your friend. My name's Red by the way. Nice to meet you Belle." - she kept smiling and offered her hand.

Belle shook it and smiled back.

"Nice to meet you too, Red."

"Red! Who's there?" - a voice came from the next room, but before the girl could answer an elderly, but still in a very good shape, woman appeared from the door frame.

"Hello. I'm Belle." - she was ready to shake her hand too.

The old woman gazed at her with suspicious eyes, but eventually shook Belle's hand.

"Granny, this girl is looking for a place to stay the night and since we have a spare bed for the guests we never have, I think that she can stay." - that wasn't a question, it seemed that the dark haired girl had already made a decision, with or without the old lady's approval.

"Alright, but she mustn't go out in the middle of the night, no matter what she hears." - she glared at Red.

"I assure you, I'm not going anywhere tonight." - Belle smiled coyly.

She didn't understand why that was so important and above all why the old lady wanted to point that out. Who would go out during the night, in the middle of nowhere with a blizzard on the way? No, all she wanted was to sleep in a comfortable bed, before resuming her task to find the big bad wolf.

"Let's go see what we can arrange for your nice horse. Shall we?" - Red said, interrupting that awkward moment. Then she took a beautiful, embroidered crimson hood from the hanger and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Belle followed her into the barn with Philippe at her side.

"So, what are a girl and a horse doing in the woods all alone?" - Red asked while scattering a bale of straw onto the ground.

"I'm... I'm going back to my family." - Belle didn't want to reveal her mission about the wolf.

"Oh, and where is it? Is it so far from here?" - Red was now placing a generous amount of hay in front of Philippe.

"Actually I don't really know, but I think so, since nobody seem to recognize the name Avonlea around here." - Belle answered while taking off the saddle from Philippe's back.

The horse shook his body in relief and snorted happily, making the girls giggle.

"Well, you both must be tired and hungry, so here you go funny guy, here's your dinner and a bucket of water. Enjoy." - she said, taking a small bow as if Philippe was a royal.

Belle took off the reins and gently patted Philippe's large neck.

"Good night buddy, see you tomorrow." - she said sweetly before letting him go to eat.

The two girls went back to the house, the wind was blowing harder now.

"So, I was going to make dinner, in the meanwhile you can settle yourself down into the "guest" room, last door on the left along the hallway." - Red said to Belle.

"Thank, you." - Belle took off her backpack and went to the room.

After a few minutes she appeared into the kitchen.

"Can I help you?" - she asked.

"Oh, don't worry, it's ok, you're a guest here." - Red smiled.

"Please, I wanna help you, you're being very kind to me and it's the least I can do." - Belle countered.

"Ok then. You can chop these carrots." - she placed four carrots on the table before Belle, along with a large knife and a wooden chopping board.

"By the way, I've never heard of Avonlea, so I guess it's not very close from here. Maybe you shouldn't continue the journey alone." - Red said while pouring a bucket of water into a cauldron.

"Oh well, I'm not alone, I have Philippe and anyway loneliness doesn't really scare me. I've felt lonely for all my life, until..." - she trailed off and let out a sigh.

Red turned around and looked at her, waiting for her to continue, but Belle looked down and stared at the carrots on the chopping board, fighting back tears.

The dark haired girl sensed Belle's discomfort and she went to sit right in front of her, taking her hands into hers, squeezing them in a reassuring way.

Belle swallowed the lump in her throat and looked into Red's eyes. There was something indescribable about the girl's eyes. They were green, with a greyish shade around the pupils, they had the colors of the forest and the sky on a rainy day. They seemed so much like the eyes of a wolf. Belle was mesmerized by them for a few seconds.

"Thank you." - she simply said, smiling at Red.

The girl smiled back and took the chopped carrots to put them into the cauldron, along with some potatoes, an onion and boar meat. They kept cooking and made some small talk in the meanwhile.

Rumplestiltskin was growing desperate as all his attempts to get his magic back failed miserably. The pain he was feeling inside for losing the chance to get back to his boy and for losing his true love was too much to take for his already torn heart. He slowly sat down on the large chair in the tower, closing his eyes. He was ready to drown in his despair, when suddenly a thought hit him. He had forgotten the first lesson about magic! How was that possible? He told that lesson so many times to other people. He had been a teacher to many wanna-be sorcerers, or, to be correct, sorceresses, but he had never been a student. His power came to him all at once and all the things he knew about magic were somehow implanted into his brain, like he was born with that knowledge when he became the Dark One. So he remembered the first rule to create magic:

_"Magic isn't about what you see dearie, it's about what you feel... inside."_

Now he knew what he had to do: feel. His deepest and secret feelings were the key to bring back magic to him. With his eyes still closed he took a deep breath and concentrated on his emotions. After a few seconds he percieved a new flicker of light in front of him. One of the many candles on the table was now lit. He did it! It was a small thing, but it was the first of the many baby steps he had to take to get magic back. A little grin tugged at his lips. Regina was going to pay, for everything.

The Evil Queen was pacing in circles into her large room in the tower of her palace. She couldn't stop thinking about Rumple's words. She didn't have the time, the energy and the men to waste on him, but she wanted him dead, as soon as possibile. If he was planning something behind her back she should be better safe than sorry, she thought. He already gave her what she needed to destroy Snow White's happiness so she didn't need him anymore, it was just a matter of time before she would cast the curse. She had to stop him, before it was too late, she knew him too well and that was the right thing to do. She couldn't let anyone stand in her way.

So she sent three black knights all over the realm to spread the rumor that the Dark One had lost his powers, offering a reward to anyone that would bring her the proof of his death. The only one she could recognize: his blackened heart.

She knew it was just a matter of time before many people would start to march straight to the Dark Castle to kill him. He wasn't exactly the most beloved person in all realms and she counted on the grudge that people had held against him for centuries.

The snow was already falling when they went to their room to sleep after dinner. Belle loosened her belt and the strings of her leather vest. She didn't have a nightgown to wear so she had to sleep with her clothes on. While she was pulling off her boots, someone knocked at the door.

"Come in." - she said.

Red opened the door and stepped in, with a shy smile on her face.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but can I... can I talk to you for a second?" - she was hesitant.

"Sure, no problem." - Belle patted the mattress beside her, gesturing for Red to sit down next to her.

The girl sat down and she started fidgeting with her hands, looking down.

"What's the matter?" - Belle asked since Red wasn't talking yet.

"Have you ever been in love?" - she finally blurted out, looking into Belle's eyes all of a sudden.

Belle gasped and stared at her with her mouth open, startled by the unexpected question.

"I'm sorry, I know we don't know each other, but... I don't have so many chances to talk to other people, you know... Granny... I, I feel like a rat in a trap." - she looked down again.

"It's ok, don't worry, it's just... I wasn't expecting a question like that." - Belle smiled and squeezed Red's hand, reassuring the girl.

"I know, I'm sorry, if you don't want to answer..." - but Belle interrupted her.

"Yes, I've been in love." - a small smile appeared on her lips now that she was thinking, once again, about Rumplestiltskin.

"And, how is it?" - Red's eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

"It's the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world." - Belle felt a deaf thump in her heart but she smiled nevertheless. "Love is hope, it fuels our dreams and if you're in it, you need to enjoy it, because... love doesn't always last forever." - she was on the verge of tears, but she stood strong.

"Oh... I'm sorry... so that's why you're going back home? Because it didn't work out?"

"Yes. But tell me about your beloved!" - Belle didn't want to talk about the epic failure of her brief love story - was it really a love story anyway? - with the most powerful and feared man of the whole world.

"Peter... we've been friends forever, but now things are... well, changing." - she couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

"Aww, that's cute! It's a lucky thing to have someone." - someone who wasn't determined to push you away, she thought.

"I know... and we're talking about going away together. But I don't even get any time with him. Granny's too afraid of the wolf to let me out alone." - she kept glancing at the door, like she was afraid that Granny could hear her and her smile was suddenly gone.

"I think she has a point about the wolf, but she can't keep you apart from him forever. If it's true love, you will find a way. You don't have to give up and you have to keep fighting for it. Love is the most powerful magic of all." - she hated how those last words sounded so much like what Rumple would say and how she was giving the girl a speech that could have been perfectly applied to her as well.

"You really believe that?" - Red was smiling again.

"I'm sure of that." - Belle smiled back at her.

"Thank you." - she said, standing up. "Have a good night. See you in the morning."

"Yes, have a good night you too."

And then Red was gone, leaving Belle alone, in that unfamiliar room, her mind now full of memories of the Dark Castle and its master. She had a hard time to fall asleep with all those thoughts swirling in her mind, but after a few hours she finally gave in to slumber.

It wasn't long before she was awake again. The wind was howling outside and it wasn't easy to ignore it. She let out a heavy sigh while staring at the ceiling, hoping to conjure some good memories to lull her back to sleep. After a few minutes she heard a noise coming from the main room. It was like someone was opening the door, she heard the hinges creak. Another creak and right after a soft thud. Someone has definitely gone out.

_"Red!"_ - she thought.

She flung herself out of the bed and she quickly fastened her belt and the strings on her vest, which seemed endless, and finally grabbed her boots to put them on. She tiptoed out of her room, hoping not to wake Granny, to reach the main door where she took her cloack before going out.

The blizzard was raging on rather badly, the snow was like a white glove on the small clearing and the trees around, so soft and so pure. And so cold and wet!

Belle spotted the fresh footprints left by Red and she started following them. She had to be quick, it was just a matter of minutes before they ended up covered by the snow which was falling rapidly. It wasn't so difficult to walk yet, the white mantle barely reached Belle's ankles.

At some point the footprints disappeared into the woods where the ground wasn't totally covered yet so it was a bit harder to follow the tracks. The wind was swishing through the trees, making scary noises in the darkness. She tried to stay calm but her heartbeat was racing in her chest while she constantly looked left and right to make sure there wasn't any danger around.

Suddenly she heard a wolf howling. It was very close. She stopped, frozen on the spot, a shiver running down her back. She wanted to scream Red's name but she didn't dare do that because it might have attracted the wolf in her direction. She started walking forward, at a faster pace instead. After a while she found Red's hood entangled on a branch. Horror hit her at the thought of the wolf hunting down the poor girl! She grabbed the hood and moved on.

She was almost running when she halted abruptly looking down to the patch of snow she was standing on. She covered her mouth with both hands and hold her breath for a few seconds. She couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. Red's human footprints were suddenly followed by some giant ones that seemed to belong to a very huge wolf. She thought the worst at first, but on a second thought the tracks on the ground didn't make any sense. If it was the wolf running after Red, why the wolf prints were pointing in the same direction of the girl's ones but were placed after them? Unless...

"Oh God!" - she let out and hurried ahead.

The wind had calmed down and it wasn't snowing anymore when she arrived at the border of the forest where there was a low hill. The clouds were gone and the moon was now fully shining in the sky, illuminating the tracks that pointed right to the top of the hill. Belle started climbing and when she was almost atop she heard a deep wolf growl. She managed to get there without making any noise and the wind was in her favor, blowing softly in her direction so it wouldn't carry her scent to the wolf's sensible nose.

The huge beast was pacing in semi circles under a large tree, looking up and growling furiously. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't face that ferocious animal with just her pretty face and a small dagger. She needed a plan. Digging a hole to make a trap required too much time and she didn't have any shovel with her. Go back and ask for help? No, she couldn't take the chance to lose the wolf now that she had found it. If only she had her survival guide with her right now. It was one of the two books she brought with her, but she had left Granny's house in a rush and it was now resting into her backpack there.

"Red? Is that you?" - a male voice interrupted her train of thoughts.

She didn't answer, too scared that her voice would attract the wolf to her.

"You have to run! Run! Run away, now!" - the guy yelled as the wolf placed his front paws on the trunk of the tree.

Oh, great! Now she had two people to rescue. She definitely needed an idea. She looked around trying to figure out what she could do with no tools and no help. She was getting hopeless as she couldn't came up with anything. Then she noticed a chain on the ground near the tree and suddenly an idea popped into her mind. She had to get it, but how?

She bent down to grab a rock and she tossed it to the other side of the hill in the attempt to hit a tree and make a sound to draw the wolf's attention away for a few istants. No sound came back. She tried again and this time a heavy thud echoed in the silence of the night.

The noise seemed to do the desired effect, steering the wolf away from the tree. With two big leaps, the beast was out of sight.

Belle didn't waste a second and dashed to the tree and grabbed the chain.

"Who are you?" - the guy asked when he didn't recognize Red's body shape and clothes.

"Shhhht!" - Belle shushed him looking up, that wasn't the time for questions, really!

Then she quickly went back to where she was standing before and squatted down. The wolf wasn't late to get back on the hill.

_"Phew, just in time."_ - she thought.

When she was sure that the wolf was still oblivious of her presence there, she started descending the hill, dragging the chain carefully in the snow to keep it from tinkling. When she got back to the edge of the forest, she tied one end of the chain to a tree, making sure that it was long enough to reach the other tree close to it. She took a deep breath. What she was about to do might have ended up in a sensational success or in a total disaster, but she had to try, she had to be brave.

"Hey! Hey! Right here! Come on! I'm here!" - she yelled in the direction of the hill.

The wolf soon appeared, taking huge leaps as it ran down the hill. It was there in a moment. Belle quickly hid behind the tree, holding the chain with both hands and closing her eyes, concentrating only on the sound of the wolf's steps in the snow and its heavy breathing. When she felt it was the moment, she pulled the chain with all her strength and she kept it tense for a few moments, high enough to hit the wolf's throat, dazing it for a while. Then she quickly stood up and with a couple of movements she rolled the chain twice around the wolf's neck. So she circled around the tree where she was hiding before and tied the loose end of the chain to it. The beast was now successfully trapped!

The wild animal was furious, snarling and staring at Belle who was standing there, fascinated by the huge beast, particurlarly by its eyes. They looked so much like Red's ones and that increased her suspects about the werewolf. But there was no time to waste, she had someone to rescue, the wolf wasn't going anywhere for now. She went back atop the hill.

"You can come down now." - she said, looking up at the tree.

The guy grabbed a large branch and jumped down, landing ungraciously in the snow. He stood up and wiped his clothes.

"Thank you." - he said.

"No matter... - she trailed off.

"Peter. My name's Peter." - he introduced himself by offering his hand to her.

"Belle." - she said shooking his hand. "Peter uh? Are you Red's boyfriend?" - she asked raising an eyebrow.

"You know Red?" - he was confused, he knew all the people around there but he had never heard about this Belle.

"Well, not exactly, we met a few hours ago. I needed a place to sleep for the night and I ended up in front of Granny's house and they were kind enough to let me stay in their spare room. But then, in the middle of the night, Red went out and I was worried she could be in danger with that wolf around." - she explained.

"Speaking of the wolf... how did you? I mean, you've been so brave to do what you did and... it's not something... - he didn't know how to say what he was thinking without seeming rude.

"It's not something a girl would do?" - she helped him and stifled a laugh.

"Yeah..." - he breathed out, relieved that she said that for him.

"Well, let's just say that it's not the first beast I face." - a sad smile tugged at her lips.

Peter noticed the sorrow on her face but didn't say anything.

"Where's Red by the way? We had a secret meeting here, but then the wolf popped out of nowhere and..." - a shiver ran down his spine at the recent memory.

"I'm not sure, I was following her tracks and they led me here, but..." - she frowned, like she was contemplating something.

"What?" - the guy stared at her, impatient to get some informations about his beloved.

"It's just a theory but I... I think that she's there, down the hill." - she pointed in the direction where there was the wolf.

"What are you talking about?" - a more confused expression on his face.

"Well, the human footprints that I was following at first belonged to Red, but suddenly they turned into wolf prints. It's a full moon night and... I think that she..." - Peter interrupted her.

"You think she's the wolf?" - he cried out.

"It's the only thing that can explain why she's not here and the footprints I saw. I read about werewolves in many books, they're human being who transform into wolves during plenilune. But there's just one thing that I can't explain in this case." - she knitted her brows and twitched her lips.

"What is it?" - he asked.

"She didn't transform as soon as she went out the house, so there must be something that can prevent her to become a wolf." - she had never read about such a thing so she had no clue of what it could be.

"The hood!" - exclaimed Peter.

Belle looked at him with her eyes wide open.

"Now that you mention it, I found it right before I saw those footprints."

"Granny always harshly reprimands Red if she goes out without it." - Peter added.

"Well, that makes sense and there's just one way to find out." - Belle started walking down the hill with Peter right behind her.

"The hood is behind that tree." - she said.

"Ok, I'll get it and put it on the wolf."

"Be careful." - she unsheathed her dagger.

The young man picked up the cloak from the ground and stepped slowly and cautiously to the chained wolf from a side. The animal turned his head to glare at him, snarling and drooling, eyes fixed on the boy's throat. With a swift motion, he tossed the cloak over the beast who growled and tried to bite the fabric.

There was no purple smoke surrounding the red hood, but it suddenly dropped on the floor, now covering a much smaller figure.

"Red?" - Peter asked tentatively without moving from his spot.

Belle saw the human body outlined under the hood and she kneeled down beside it and lifted the rim, uncovering Red's face.

"Red!" - she said, joyful tears pooling in her eyes.

"Belle... what? What happened?" - the girl seemed confused, as if she was just passed out and came back to her senses.

"You don't remember anything?" - Belle helped the girl to get up.

"No... I... I remember that I went out the house to meet with Peter and when I was almost there..." - she touched her forehead, trying to remember.

"Red!" - Peter exclaimed, recovering from the little shock he just had, it's not like everyday that you discover to have a werewolf as the love of your life.

"Peter!" - as soon as she saw him beside Belle, she pulled him into a tight hug.

Belle smiled watching them, finding each other once again. If only she could have her had own beast there, she would hug him and never let him go.

* * *

**Author's note:** Ahhh Belle, we feel you... that beast is soooo damn cute! Coming up: be ready to drown in "Beauty and the Beast" feels. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

_**CHAPTER 6**_

Belle, Red and Peter were going back to Granny's. The two lovebirds hand in hand while Belle was leading the way.

"Stop right there!" - a voice said from the dark a few steps ahead.

The three of them jumped back, strartled.

"Granny?" - Red asked.

The woman stepped out to stand in front of them, a crossbow in her hands, pointed at Belle's face.

"I knew I couldn't trust you, any of you. Especially this new girl. What are you doing here?" - the elderly woman questioned.

"I went out to rescue your niece and her boyfriend, since you didn't tell her about her condition and put everyone in danger!" - Belle wasn't intimidated at all, on the contrary she was angry with the woman.

"You... you knew?" - Red asked in disbelief.

Granny lowered the crossbow and looked down.

"Yes, I did." - she admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me? How could you lie to me on something like that?" - Red was now crying.

"Because I was ashamed and worried about you. But now I see that I was wrong to keep it from you." - she let out a sigh.

"Come on Peter, let's go." - Red grabbed his hand and pulled him in the opposite direction of the house.

"Red, wait!" - Granny tried to stop her but she didn't want to listen.

"Let me talk to her." - Belle said.

The woman nodded and Belle ran to reach the couple. She outpaced them and turned to make them stop.

"Belle, please. She knew and she didn't tell me, I don't want to have anything to do with her, never again." - Red explained.

"I know, but I'm sure that she did it with good intentions. She loves you Red, I don't know you so much, but from what I can see, you're the only one she has left in this world. Don't make a choice you're going to regret." - she took Red's hands in hers.

The girl looked down, tears of anger and disappointment still running down her face.

Peter rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I think she's right." - he said.

"But, what about us? She will never approve this relationship and I'm not even sure that you will stay with me... not after what you've discovered. I'm a monster Peter... I..." - the boy interrupted her.

"No, you're not. I love you Red and I don't care what Granny says, that will never change, but at least give her a chance to make amends. I'll be there with you."

Belle's heart melted at that scene and she wished once again to be back at the Dark Castle.

"I love you too." - and with that said she hugged Peter tightly.

"Let's go back." - Peter said when they broke apart and they all trotted back to Granny.

"Red! You're back!" - the old lady was crying.

"Yes, I am, but you will have to explain me everything." - she was still angry, but ready to listen to her grandma.

"I will. I promise." - they hugged.

With her niece in her arms, Granny turned her head to look at Belle.

"Thank you." - she said.

Belle simply smiled and then they all went back to the house to take some well deserved sleep.

The morning after Rumplestiltskin woke up in a cheerful mood. His progress of getting back magic were going fine and he couldn't wait to practice more. That day he was going to try to conjure something, a small object, a candle, a quill or a coin maybe. The purpose was to start with small things to get to bigger ones. That was the huge secret behind great magic.

He went down to the main hall and sat on a chair. Closing his eyes he concentrated on his emotions and after several minutes he felt that something happened.

A tiny blue gem was resting on the table. It was the same exact color of Belle's eyes. He picked it up to examine it in the backlight. Its trasparency was mesmerizing and for an istant he had the feeling to look into her eyes for real. He missed her and magic was playing with him and his feelings. Suddenly he tossed the gem away and took a break. The last thing he needed was think about her. She was gone. No magic was able to bring her back. Dead is dead. Magic can do much, but not that, he said once to Regina and many others.

If only he could brew a memory potion to forget her. He istantaneously felt sick at the idea of forgetting her. He couldn't do that, she was the only one who really, truly loved him, but he had been too stupid to see that when it was the right moment. He needed time to let the pain fade away. He took a deep breath and picked up a spell book from the table, opening it in the middle. Then he ducked his head and inhaled the magic that was evaporating from the pages in a swirling puff of purple smoke. It felt so good and he was ready to continue.

After she said goodbye to everyone, Belle was ready to leave Granny's house and its residents. The wolf wasn't a problem anymore now that Red knew that she had to keep her hood on during full moon nights.

"Take this. I found it in my bookcase. It's a map of the world, it will help you find the path to Avonlea." - Red said, offering a rather big scroll to her.

"Thank you, but I won't need it." - Belle smiled.

Red looked at her quizzically.

"But, I thought that..." - she trailed off, unsure about what to say.

"I know, but I learned a lesson yesterday, thanks to you and Peter." - she said with a huge smile on her face.

"And what's that?" - the girl asked curiously.

"That when you find something that's worth fighting for, you never give up. In this case I found someone." - her eyes were sparkling with renewed joy.

A wide smile spread across Red's face and she hugged Belle.

"I hope to see you again." - Red whispered.

"I will come back to visit from time to time. I promise."

When they broke apart, Peter reached them and hugged Red from behind.

The girls were still holding hands, both fighting back tears. They had found a friend in each other in less than a day and it was hard to go on separate ways so soon.

"Good luck Belle. Take care." - Peter said since Red wasn't able to talk, a huge lump in her throat.

"Thanks. You too." - she said and let Red's hands go.

Granny was standing near the door, she wasn't good with things like that, saying goodbye was a difficult and painful thing to do for her. She wished Belle good luck earlier and she meant it. She was wary towards strangers, but she knew that Belle was pure of heart and a good and brave girl.

Belle mounted on the saddle and signaled to Philippe to turn and move ahead. Peter and Red were waving at them, while she rested her head on his shoulder and he hugged her more tightly. It wasn't a long trip to Rumple's castle from there, but the snow was going to make it a bit slower and harder.

Belle and Philippe got lost a couple of times, taking some wrong turns that lengthened the route but eventually they arrived at the tavern in the small village where she worked for a few days just in time for dinner. She dismounted.

"Belle?" - a voice called from behind her back.

She turned around to see Fabrice bringing out the trash.

"Fabrice!" - she exclaimed with joy.

"What are you doing back here? Are you ok?" - the man asked.

"Yes, I'm ok. I found the wolf and I defeated it." - she grinned.

"Oh that must have been a hell of an adventure! Take Phil to the stable and come in, I can't wait to listen to your tale in front of a good piece of roasted boar and a pint of ale!" - he said happily.

"Thank you." - she said, grabbing the reins and pulling the horse towards the stable.

Once Philippe was comfortably settled in a box she went into the tavern. A small group of men were sitting in a corner, drinking and talking quietly.

"Quiet night, huh?" - she sat on a stool by the counter.

"Yeah, well you know, the snow makes everyone want to stay warm in front of a cozy fireplace instead of wandering around." - she giggled.

"I guess you're right."

Fabrice placed a plate full of boar meat and potatoes and a jug of beer in front of her.

"Now. Tell me about your adventure!" - he propped his elbows on the counter and rested his chin on his hands. He kept staring at her while she shared her story, between a bite and another, truly fascinated by that wonderful girl.

"And that's it! Here I am, eating this delightful dinner." - she finished her story and her meal by downing the last sip of ale.

"Wow! You really are a brave girl. And now? What do you plan to do?" - he secretly hoped that she would stay there, at least for a few days.

"I..." - she was interrupted.

"Hey! We want more beer! Hurry up!" - one of the men at the table yelled at them.

Fabrice grunted and spilled some beer into a big pitcher.

"Leave this to me. I'll bring it." - she said, stopping him with a hand on his arm and a grin on her face.

She took the pitcher and sauntered to the table. The men were staring at her, she was clad in her leather clothes which hugged her curves perfectly and she knew it.

"Here. Next time you should ask more nicely." - she said in a calm tone, placing the pitcher in the middle of the table, bending down a bit more than it was necessary.

All of them were staring right where she knew they would. They were at her feet in a blink of an eye and they would listen at her reproach more willingly this way.

_"Tsk, tsk... men"_ - she thought.

She started to turn around when one of them, the one who yelled before, grabbed her arm.

"Why don't you stay here with us and have fun?" - he was clearly drunk if his breath smelling of ale was any indication.

"No, thank you." - she simply answered but the man didn't let her arm go.

Instead he pulled her down on his lap, making the other men laugh loudly. With her left hand she quickly grabbed her dagger and pointed it at the man's throat.

"I said no and you really have to learn some manners." - she looked dead serious.

They all stopped laughing all of a sudden. Fabrice was enjoying the show from behind the counter.

"I would listen to her. She defeated the big bad wolf, all alone." - he said, mocking the men.

The rude guy let her go and she went back to the counter, while they resumed their activities like nothing happened. Fabrice muffled a laughter once she was again in front of him.

"Nice show. I guess they seem lambs compared to the giant beast you faced." - he took a cloth to wipe the counter.

"Well, I don't like when people yell with no reason." - she smiled. "I think I'll go upstairs to sleep a bit now. It's been a long day." - she continued.

"Sure. Sleep well milady." - he took a little bow.

She bowed a bit too, pretending to lift an imaginary long skirt.

"Goodnight Fabrice." - she took her backpack and started climbing the stairs.

Tomorrow she would be back to him, but tonight was going to be endless and cold without him.

It was early in the morning when Belle woke up and said goodbye to Fabrice, even though it was more like a "see you soon". She was glad she hadn't had to explain where she was going to him, even if he had asked last night before she put up the show with those drunk men. He forgot and she didn't want to remind him. She didn't want to waste time listening to his concerns about how dangerous was Rumplestiltskin. He was a good man, but he knew nothing about that. Philippe started trotting at her command and she felt free. Just a few hours and she would be back to him and she was going to stay forever, like she promised him once upon a time.

Late in the afternoon, Rumplestiltskin woke up with a headache. Practicing magic was exhausting and he wasn't one who took things really slowly. He ungraciously stretched and yawned, a bitter taste on his tongue. Apparently dark magic had a flavour.

He was still trying to wake when he heard a weird, loud noise coming from outside. He quickly got off the bed and rushed to the window.

Hundreds of people were marching to the castle, some carrying a sword and some pitchforks and shovels. What the hell was happening?

He was scared. Fear was taking over him. A feeling he has forgotten for a very long time. He was fearless when he was the Dark One, he was immortal and powerful, but now... now he was just Rumplestiltskin the coward spinner.

Hide. He had to hide. But where? All the safe, secret rooms were locked by magic and hiding in a random room was pointless. The castle was huge but they were too many and they would find him sooner or later. Running wasn't an option either, with his lame leg he wouldn't go very far. That was it then. That was how Rumplestiltskin was going to die, he thought. He knew he deserved a punishment for everything he has done as the Dark One, but he's always thought that losing his son was punishment enough. It wasn't really his fault if people came to him, asking for a favor or some magic and they didn't know how to make a good deal or they weren't ready to pay the price. Not his price, but the price of magic. He only wished to be able to send some sort of message to Baelfire, to let him know how sorry he was. But there wasn't a way to do such a thing and those people weren't there to listen to his plea.

If he hadn't been such a coward he would go in the kitchen and take a large knife to kill himself, but he was a coward, he's always been. Just like his father. He came to believe that he could escape that fate, when he had been brave enough to get the dagger and kill the previous Dark One. But all his dreams of bravery and a respectable life, tumbled down when he chose power over his own son and then he knew. He knew that his fate was already written and he couldn't do anything about it.

"People, we're going to kill this monster all together and we'll share the Queen's reward. Remember: we're here to get justice for all the crimes that the Dark One has committed to all of us and many other people in all realms. Follow my lead and we will prevail!" - they were already at the main doors and they started smashing them.

Without thinking Rumplestiltskin approached his dresser and changed his clothes. If he was going to die, at least he would do that with dignity and not with his pajamas on. There he was, clad with his best golden shirt, a red dragonhide sleeveless vest, tight leather pants, and high boots. He went to the main hall, grabbing a sword from an armored dummy along the way. He knew he wasn't able to wield it with a cane in his right hand, but he would try until the end to survive. It was a primal instinct after all.

The main doors were hard to tear down but at every hard hit they got, they looked weaker and weaker, just like their master who was standing behind them.

Finally the doors gave in and a horde of men poured in.

"You, horrible creature! It's time to pay for your crimes!" - the man who apparently was the leader yelled.

Rumplestiltskin stood there without saying a word. He tried to look calm and in control, but the truth was that he was scared to death and he could hear his own heartbeat into his ears.

The group of people were wary, his calm attitude could be deceiving. He didn't have the aspect of the Dark One anymore, but it could have been a disguise and the Evil Queen wasn't famous for speaking the truth, she could have lied to them about him.

The leader stepped closer to him.

"Let this man have a fair duel before dying, shall we?" - he said, but he wasn't really asking.

The people gathered around them to watch.

"Come on, Dark One, bring it!" - he taunted.

Rumplestiltskin dropped his cane and grabbed the sword with his right hand, pointing it to the man.

His mind was full of memories of Bae and Belle. He wanted to die thinking about the only people he really loved.

Belle was galloping along the last uphill that led to the gates of the castle. The gates were open as were the main doors. That's when she noticed all the footprints in the snow that were pointing straight to the castle. Something was wrong.

She signaled to Philippe to run faster and the horse snorted, gathering his breath to sprint forward.

The man was swinging his sword at Rumplestiltskin, who was trying to resist as much as possible by parrying every hit. The noise of clanging metal echoed all over the big room. The stranger man was just putting up a show, to entertain the crowd. He could have killed Rumplestiltskin at any second and they both knew that. But he was growing tired of playing and with a swift movement he stabbed Rumplestiltskin in the abdomen who fell immediately on the floor.

Rumplestiltskin let his sword go and brought his hands on the wound. It was bleeding, pretty badly. He closed his eyes and grimaced in pain.

The man was pacing around him, like a predator playing with its prey.

"I will make you suffer before ripping your heart out, because that's what you deserve." - he said.

A faint sound of galloping hooves reached his ears. The crowd turned around to see who was arriving in such a hurry. They stepped aside to let the mysterious hooded figure pass.

Belle pulled the reins to halt Philippe and quickly dismounted and removed her hood.

A surprised "Ooooh" raised from the crowd. All the eyes glued on her.

"Rumple! No!" - she dashed towards him, alarmed by the pool of blood around his body.

She kneeled down beside him, stroking his hair and cheek and he slowly opened his eyes at her touch.

"Belle..." - he breathed out.

"Rumple!" - she was crying, while all the people around them seemed frozen on the spot.

"Belle... you're... you're alive." - she didn't understand, of course she was alive. "You... you came back..." - he continued.

"Of course I came back. Oh, this is all my fault... if only I've gotten here sooner..." - she continued to gently stroke his face.

"Maybe... maybe it's better... it's better this way..." - he whispered.

"Don't talk like that. You'll be alright. We're together now, everything's gonna be fine." - she was trying to stay strong for him.

He stretched out his right hand, the one that wasn't so much covered in blood to stroke her cheek and feel the softness of her hair once again.

"At... at least I got to see you... one last time." - she placed her hand over his, nuzzling her face into his palm.

Suddenly he went limp, his eyes rolled over and his head turned on his right side. Belle covered her mouth with her right hand for a second and shook her head.

"No! No! Please... please... please, don't leave me!" - she sobbed, resting her head on his chest.

Tears were running down her cheeks like torrents soaking his shirt collar.

"I love you." - she added a few seconds later.

Most of the people around them took off their hats and looked down. They felt guilty, they didn't know, they couldn't imagine that someone like that beautiful woman could love such an ugly beast.

The only one who seemed unimpressed by that heartbreaking scene was the man who stabbed Rumplestiltskin.

"Step aside ma'am, I have a job to complete." - he said, after he cleared his voice.

Belle turned her head to look at him, her despair suddenly transformed in fury.

"Leave." - she growled.

"I'm afraid I can't. You see, those people count on me to..." - she interrupted him.

"I don't care what they want. Now, leave." - she clenched her jaw.

"Or, what?" - he teased.

Belle quickly grabbed the sword on the ground and stood up, pointing the tip of the blade at his throat. Then she pointed the sword to the crowd, drawing a semi circle in the air, to make them all see how serious she was.

"All of you, leave this place, now." - almost all of them obeyed at her order and left the castle.

A few of them, however, were still not convinced.

"Tell me something, darling. Why would you want to fight for a man like that?" - he asked her.

"Because I see good in him. Because I believe he's capable of changing. Because his heart is true. And yours? Yours is rotten." - she said, bringing back the sword at his neck.

"You have no idea." - the man swiftly pushed the sword aside with his hand and grabbed Belle's wrist.

Startled by his action, she dropped the sword. At that scene Philippe whinnied and ran towards them. When he was close enough, he pranced before him and hit him on his shoulder with his large hoof. The man cried out in pain and let Belle go. The few people who were still there reached the man and helped him to get out. Everybody was finally gone.

* * *

**Author's note:** Are you guys still alive, or have you drowned into BATB feels along with Rumbelle ones? Because I did when I wrote this chapter. :') Your reviews are the best. Thank you so much.


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